Sponsored School(s)
 | Get your Graduate Degree in Hawaii |
 | Earn your National Certification in Hawaii |
 | Apply for APRN Recognition in Hawaii |
 | Renewing Your APRN Recognition in Hawaii |
The Hawaii Board of Nursing (808-586-2695 or [email protected]) recognizes qualified registered nurses as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs).
Four categories of APRN are recognized in Hawaii:
- Nurse practitioners
- Certified nurse midwives
- Clinical nurse specialists
- Nurse anesthetists
Hawaii Job Statistics
|
You must hold an unencumbered Hawaii RN license prior to applying for APRN recognition.
- If you have never been licensed as an RN in Hawaii or another state, file the Nurse’s License by Exam form to obtain a Hawaii RN license.
- If you hold an RN license from another state, file the Nurse-License (Without Exam) form to obtain a Hawaii RN license.
- If you attended a foreign nursing school, you must have your educational credentials evaluated by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) prior to applying for a Hawaii RN license.
- If your Hawaii RN license is currently inactive, use the Registered Nurse Renewal Application Form (Inactive Status) to reactivate it.
With your active RN license, you may follow these steps to become a recognized APRN in Hawaii.
Step 1. Get Your Graduate Degree
You must complete an accredited graduate-level program that results in at least a master’s degree in clinical nursing or nursing science.
Qualified Graduate Programs
The program you choose must be accredited by an institutional, specialized, or programmatic accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE), and its curriculum approved by the Hawaii Board of Nursing.
Course Requirements
In order to meet standards of the APRN scope of practice in Hawaii, you must take coursework in the following areas:
- Advanced assessment
- Diagnosing, prescribing, choosing, and administering therapeutic measures
- Advanced pharmacology
Prescriptive Authority
After being recognized as an APRN in Hawaii, you may apply for prescriptive authority. This requires that you have taken additional coursework in advanced pharmacotherapeutics as part of your graduate program.
To maintain prescriptive authority, you must take coursework in advanced pharmacology and advanced pharmacotherapeutics every two years.
Step 2. Earn Your National Certification
The Hawaii Board of Nursing recognizes four types of APRN. You must become nationally certified within the category you wish to work before the board will legally recognize you as an APRN. Independent national certification agencies exist to facilitate this process. You must meet the agency’s educational, experience, and examination requirements in order to become nationally certified.
The Hawaii Board of Nursing recognizes the following APRN titles:
- Nurse practitioner (NP)
- Certified nurse-midwife (CNM)
- Nurse anesthetist (NA)
- Clinical nurse specialist (CNS)
Certification Programs
If you complete an APRN national certification program from one of the following agencies, the Hawaii Board of Nursing will recognize you as an APRN generalist or specialist in the state:
- ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center):
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP)
- Adult Nurse Practitioner (ANP)
- Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
- Gerontological Nurse Practitioner (GNP)
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP)
- Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
- Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
- Gerontological CNS (GCNS)
- Adult Health CNS (ACNS)
- Adult Psychiatric & Mental Health CNS (PMHCNS)
- Child & Adolescent Psychiatric & Mental Health CNS (PMHCNS)
- Pediatric CNS (PCNS)
- AANP (American Academy of Nurse Practitioners):
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- NCC (National Certification Corporation):
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP)
- Women’s Health OB/GYN Nurse Practitioner (WHNP)
- PNCB (Pediatric Nurse Certification Board):
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Acute Care (ACPNP)
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care (PCPNP)
- ONCC (Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation):
- Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse Practitioner (AOCNP)
- Advanced Oncology Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist (AOCNS)
- AMCB (American Midwifery Certification Board):
- Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)
- NBCRNA (National Board of Certification & Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists):
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
Once nationally certified by one of the above agencies, you may pursue APRN recognition in Hawaii.
Step 3. Apply for APRN Recognition
You must provide your US social security number on your application for APRN recognition, as required by both federal law and Hawaii Revised Statutes. If you do not have a social security number, contact the Board at 808-586-2695 before proceeding.
Complete the Application for APRN Recognition.
- Have your graduate nursing school send an official transcript directly to the Board
- Have your national certification agency send verification of your certification directly to the Board
- Include application fee payable to Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Send all of the above to the Hawaii Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 3469, Honolulu, HI 96801.
Prescriptive Authority (APRN-RX)
After receiving APRN recognition, you may apply for prescriptive authority. This may be done by filing the Application for APRN Prescriptive Authority (APRN-RX) and attaching the proper fees. Have your graduate school send another copy of your transcript, and have your national certification agency send verification of certification.
If you wish to also prescribe controlled substances, you must first obtain a U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) number and Narcotics Enforcement Division Registration Number, by completing the Application for APRN Prescriptive Authority for Controlled Substances.
Step 4. Renewing Your APRN Recognition
Your Hawaii RN license and APRN recognition expire biannually on June 30 of all odd numbered years. Renewing each requires filing a separate renewal form and fees as described below.
Licensure status may be checked online via this link.
Continuing Education
To maintain prescriptive authority as an APRN-RX, you must take five hours of coursework in advanced pharmacology and advanced pharmacotherapeutics during each two-year renewal cycle.
Hawaii’s APRNs are not required to fulfill continuing education requirements to maintain recognition. However, you must fulfill the requirements of your national certification agency to maintain certification. Maintaining national certification is mandatory to maintaining APRN recognition in Hawaii. Check with your certification agency for more details on continuing education:
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
- American Nurses Credentialing Center
- Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation
- National Certification Corporation
- Pediatric Nurse Certification Board
- National Board of Certification & Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists
- American Midwifery Certification Board
Proof of national certification will be required at the time of license renewal.
License Renewal Notice
The Hawaii Board of Nursing will mail you a postcard renewal reminder as your license renewal date approaches.
- Complete the Renewal Application, one for renewal of your RN license and one for APRN recognition renewal
- Attach the proper renewal fees for each license type/recognition, payable to DCCA
- Attach proof of your current national certification
Mail all of the above documents to DCCA PVL-Renewal, P.O. Box 3469, Honolulu, HI 96801.
Expired and inactive RN License/APRN Recognition Renewal Application
If your RN license and APRN recognition has expired, you may use the same renewal form above. However, you must pay a late renewal fee as specified on the form.
If your RN license/APRN recognition is inactive, you may use the Inactive Status Renewal Form and pay the proper fees as indicated on the form.
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Associations in Hawaii
Consider becoming a member of one of these professional organizations that work in support of APRNs in Hawaii:
- Hawaii Association of Nurse Anesthetists (HANA)
- Hawaii Nurses Association
- Hawaii State Affiliate, American College of Nurse Midwives
- Hawaii Association of Professional Nurses
- National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Hawaii Chapter
Hawaii Nurse Practitioner Salary
Those seeking to become nurse practitioners (NPs) in Hawaii can expect to make a good salary: $118,730 per year, on average. The most experienced NPs in the state in the top ten percent earn at minimum $163,520 annually.
Registered Nurse Salary
Registered nurses in Hawaii make a very comfortable living. On average, RNs pull in $104,830 annually. The top-earning RNs in the top ten percent pull at least $134,660 – more than enough to afford a comfortable living in the Aloha State.
Nursing Instructors and Teachers Salary
If your passion lies in educating the next generation of nurses, Hawaii is a good state to work in. Nurse instructors in this state make an average $76,540 annually.
Nurse Administrator Salary
(Includes Nurse Managers, Directors, and Chief Nursing Officers)
Nurse administrators are some of the most well paid professionals in the state, earning $139,650 per year, on average. Those in the top 25 percent report earning at least $159,360 annually. That’s a great living on the islands.
Nurse Anesthetists Salary
Want to afford a home with one of the stunning views Hawaii has to offer? Becoming an anesthetist could get you there. The average salary for this profession is $201,930 per year. Again, that’s the average. Those with more experience earn more than the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ reporting threshold of 208,000.
2020 US Bureau of Labor Statistics job market trends and salary figures for 1) Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Midwives; 2) Medical and Health Services Managers (Nurse Administrators); 3) Registered Nurses; and 4) Postsecondary Nursing Instructors and Teachers reflect state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. 2019 US Census Bureau figures for state median household income provided for comparison. Data Accessed December 2021.